(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an espagnolette or espagnolette-lock for a door, French window or the like, comprising, accommodated in a central casing, a control mechanism designed so as to be capable of actuating at least one operating rod and including, on the one hand, springy means for automatically restoring the operating rod into locking position, as well as manual control means, in particular a tumbler actuated through a control handle, for ensuring the unlocking of this operating rod and resetting the springy means and, on the other hand, a locking device capable of maintaining the operating rod in its unlocked position upon opening of the leaf of the door, French window or the like, and unlocking means capable of releasing the locking device when closing the leaf against the sash-frame, in order to allow the restoring of the operating rod into locking position, this espagnolette or espagnolette-lock including also a spring-bolt automatically restored into protruding position through a spring.
This invention will find its application in the field of the building ironmongery and in particular relates to the so-called automatic locking fittings.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
One should indeed note that there are already known espagnolettes or espagnolettes-locks meeting the above description. They are aimed at facilitating the locking of the door, French window or the like in that the operating rod or rods are automatically pushed back into their locking position under the action of springy restoring means the action of which is, as a matter of fact, released at the very moment at which the leaf is closed against the sash-frame. On the other hand, when unlocking and opening this leaf, the action performed by the user on a control handle results into bringing this or these operating rods into their unlocked position and in ensuring the resetting of the aforementioned springy means, while an adequate locking device simultaneously maintains the operating rod or rods in this unlocked position against the action of the spring which substantially forms the springy restoring means.
Finally, such an espagnolette-lock also includes unlocking means which are capable of releasing the locking device when closing the leaf against the sash-frame, in order to allow the restoring of this or these operating rods into locking position.
An espagnolette or espagnolette-lock meeting this description has been described, in particular, in FR-2.500.874. In this case, the locking device consists of a locking pawl which is tiltingly fitted at the level of a face-plate which usually covers the various organs of the espagnolette-lock at the level of the front edge of the leaf. As a matter of fact, this locking pawl acts in the direction of moving of this leaf, so that, when opening the latter, it automatically tilts towards the sash-frame, this under the action of a spring, whereas, when closing this leaf, the sash-frame is capable of pushing back this locking pawl against said spring.
One should note that such a locking pawl is extended, at the level of its portion inside the casing containing the control mechanism, by a lever through which it is, as a matter of fact, capable of maintaining the operating rod or rods in their unlocked position, this at the moment at which the leaf is opened and, hence, as soon as this locking pawl could be released from the sash-frame.
As a matter of fact, such a solution has the drawback that the release mechanism, which is in the shape of an external and distinct organ of the espagnolette or espagnolette-lock, is dissociated from a locking organ of this espagnolette or espagnolette-lock. This often results into non-synchronous actions between the moment at which the locking organs are effectively located in front of their respective keeper on the sash-frame. Therefore, it often happens that either of these locking organs strikes against the sash-frame, e.g. their keeper, without engaging into it.
Now, this risk is the larger as the fillister backlash between the leaf and the sash-frame is varied from one door or French window to another. Anyway, it often changes in the course of time, e.g. because of a distortion of the leaf against its sash-frame.
These fillister-backlash problems have already caused the manufacturers to design hinging fittings for these doors, French windows or the like provided with three-dimensional adjusting means, in order to be able to adjust the positioning of this leaf with respect to its sash-frame.
Likewise, such adjusting means are often located at the level of the locking fittings, in order to ensure a good co-operation between the locking organs and their keeper.
Accordingly, in order to cope with the above-mentioned problem, one could also have thought of providing the espagnolette or espagnolette-lock as described in FR-2.500.874 with adjusting means aimed at allowing an operator to adjust, with respect to this fillister backlash, the positioning of the locking pawl which is tiltingly fitted at the level of the face-plate, so that the release with a view to locking the springy restoring means aimed at pushing back the operating rods into their locked position occurs at the proper moment.
Now, such a solution would only have made even more difficult the task of the operators who ensure the fitting of this kind of espagnolettes or espagnolettes-locks and especially of those who have to install a door that is provided with it because of the numerous adjustings to be carried out. In addition, this solution was not capable of coping with the risk of a change in the fillister backlash in the course of time. As a matter of fact, sooner or later, it would have obliged these operators or the user to proceed to new adjustments which would prove very difficult to be carried out.